


Like Tommy & Tuppence...Well, Almost

by KarrieBW



Category: Death Note & Related Fandoms, Death Note (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Attempt at Humor, Humor, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Shotacon (in some chapters), alternate universe - L lives, each chapter has its own rating
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-15
Updated: 2020-09-25
Packaged: 2021-03-02 04:15:46
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 4
Words: 19,275
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23669002
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KarrieBW/pseuds/KarrieBW
Summary: A collection of L/Near one-shots in no particular chronological order. Some set during Wammy's era, some after the Kira case. Also featuring the SPK members and other characters.
Relationships: L & Near | Nate River, L/Near | Nate River
Comments: 27
Kudos: 28





	1. Zero Visibility

**Author's Note:**

> This is probably going to be like my dumpster for short ideas that don't belong anywhere else. And I'll most likely be slow to update as this has no plot whatsoever.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Summary: Basically, L needs to wear glasses. That's all there is to know.
> 
> Time Setting: Post Kira Case
> 
> Chapter Rating: G

Rester’s glasses have been disappearing mysteriously from his office for three weeks now. They remain missing for a brief period of time and then they reappear, just as suddenly as they disappear.

This is not about the Commander’s nearsightedness glasses, but about his farsightedness glasses.

After a week, this predicament became irritating. He can’t afford to fall behind on his work, especially since both his bosses are somewhat workaholic.

When he mentioned his problem to his colleagues, they started laughing. Lidner told him that perhaps the Headquarters were haunted by a half-blind ghost and Gevanni told him he might have started forgetting.

Anthony is absolutely sure his memory is just fine. It has never been in better shape. And obviously, there are no ghosts. Gods of Death may exist, but until he sees proof of the opposite, he’s not convinced about the existence of other supernatural beings.

He’s sure someone from here is stealing his glasses.

But who? That’s what he can’t put his finger on.

Near is worried. L doesn’t seem like himself for the past couple of days. He has almost no appetite at all to work on cases. Or at least, he has no appetite at all to work with Near. Common working hours used to be an activity he loved.

He looks more distant in general, and Near hasn’t failed to notice that for the past two weeks he has been working on the bed with the laptop less and less. Work before sleep (or L’s attempt at sleep) was a daily performed ritual for the both of them.

In addition, since L’s appetite for work was reduced, his appetite for sweets should have been reduced as well. That’s what usually happened when L periodically took brief breaks. This time, however, the original greatest detective’s appetite had rather multiplied.

Tonight, L did not work with his laptop at all. He has long ago buried his face in a tome of that literary crime Mrs. Stephanie Mayer and many more fans of not-quite-literature wish to call ‘book’. (Near, even after so many years, still can’t believe his mentor doesn’t possess literary education.)

Determined for a first inspection of the situation, Near says, dragging his own laptop to L’s side;

“L, could you take a look at this?”

The older of the two glances at the screen momentarily from the corner of his eye and then returns immediately to his book. “I am occupied at the moment”.

“You are not occupied. You are currently destroying your brain cells”.

“If you put it this way, I am occupied with destroying my brain cells”.

“Suit yourself. I will let you insult your intellect for a while longer”.

For a few minutes the only sounds in the room were the clicking of the keys from Near’s laptop and occasionally, the turning of the pages from L’s book.

Abruptly, L abandons his book on the nightstand and gets up, heading to the door.

“Where are you going?” Asks Near.

“Downstairs. I just had a sudden inspiration for a case. You remember the one we worked on a little in the morning, don’t you? The one with the stolen serum?”

“Of course. Wait a minute. I’m coming too”. He made to get up, but a loose grip on his shoulders from L prevented him.

“No. You should stay here. You’ve done enough for the day”.

Those were L’s last words before leaving rather hurriedly, closing the door of the bedroom quietly behind him. Near really didn’t know how to interpret his reaction. It’s evident L doesn’t want them to work together. At present, at least.

But why…?

And so suddenly at that.

Even though he was all but reassured, he temporarily convinced himself L is just nostalgic about the time he worked alone with Watari, before he met him. It’s the best excuse he can think of before focusing on his current case again.

How could have Rester forgotten his cellphone at the office? Was Gevanni right? Has he really started forgetting?

He climbed the staircase leading to the Investigation Room. There were no worries for it being locked. Even if Near is asleep, L will be awake by a 90% chance, wandering in front of the screens like a ghost.

In the end, the door is half-open, which means that either the two of them are still working, or L is spending time by himself. He enters without making the slightest of sounds. L is indeed sitting in front of the screens, sitting on the chair in that usual animal-like way of his. The detective doesn’t become aware of his presence at first. Upon reaching him, however, Rester notices something strange on the face of the insomniac man.

…He’s wearing his glasses! His mysteriously missing glasses!

The thief-ghost is…L?

“L?” He calls once.

The aforementioned one freezes. With an almost mechanical move he takes the glasses off. He blows on the contacts and then wipes them on his white shirt. “Frankly, I wonder how you are able to see with those glasses, Commander Rester. The contacts are filthy”.

“May I ask what you were doing with my glasses?”

His boss seems offended. He looks at him for the first time since his entrance in the room. “Isn’t it obvious? I was inspecting their level of cleanliness”.

“Really?” Rester asks rhetorically and takes his glasses. “If I didn’t know any better I’d say you were using them to see”.

“Are you implying I need the aid of your own glasses in order to see? That is ridiculous. Putting aside the fact that my eyesight is perfect, your glasses are of the farsightedness category – a condition that mostly appears in the middle-aged or older people. Why would I need your glasses?”

Rester dragged one of the chairs and sat next to him. “You know, it’s not bad to need glasses. It didn’t sound a great idea to me when I first had to wear them either, but I got used to it after a while. It’s nothing”.

“Is there a particular reason for you to recount your personal experiences to me since we do not share the same predicament?” (Before hearing L speak for the first time Rester had been wondering from where Near had inherited that…unique style of speaking.)

“So you insist you don’t need glasses”.

“…Please go home, Commander Rester, and stop saying nonsense”. 

The ex-general didn’t seem discouraged at all. He wore his glasses and rummaged around among the reports, which were scattered on the office in front of them. He looked sketchily at one random report and then held it exactly in front of L’s face. “If you don’t need my glasses, you are not farsighted. That means you can read the report just fine from this distance”. 

L blinked his tired eyes a few times. It’s the first time Rester has ever seen him blinking. (He had been wondering when on earth the man closed his eyes.) L fluttered his eyelids and narrowed his eyes. An expression of discomfort is painted across his face. In the end, he admitted his defeat with difficulty, hanging his head almost to his chest.

“…Don’t tell Near”.

“Don’t worry, he won’t learn anything from me. But you have to tell me the reason”.

“It’s as obvious as an elephant in a room, really. If I do admit I am…” The poor guy, he couldn’t even utter the word. “In any case, if I accept that my eyes no longer use the maximum of their capabilities, it will be like automatically drifting far away from Near’s age group”.

Rumor in the office has it that L is already twelve years older than Near, so…Rester..didn’t really know how to respond to this. And of course he didn’t want to sound rude… He had learned first-hand how L could be when irritated by one of them.

“But Near is going to learn about it eventually anyways, isn’t he? You can’t keep it a secret from him forever”.

“I am well aware of that fact. I just have faith in being able to delay that moment for as long as possible”.

“I think you should tell him, and soon at that. Will it be any better if Gevanni finds out you’ve been borrowing my glasses and gives a report about it to Near? Or Lidner?”

L’s stare was unfocused as he looked at the general direction of the screens and seemed to shudder at the thought of that development. “I’ll inform him tonight”. He finally replied. He jumped off his chair and landed on the floor. “By the way, Commander, please turn off the computers before heading out, yes? Have a good night”.

Those were the last words of his boss before leaving him just sitting there without a care. Rester sighed in frustration. It was his own fault for wanting to help L with his problem in the first place…

“Near. Near, wake up”.

Near didn’t need the mind of a genius to understand that those voices he heard in his half-stupor were L who deemed absolutely necessary to tell him something at 3 in the morning. He has gotten used to it by now. This scene, with him (almost) sleeping and L hunched above him on the bed and shaking him has taken place many times in the past. The majority of times it is something of actual importance, like a discovery on a case, but there are those times that the ‘urgency’ is nothing more than L’s boredom and his mood for an after-midnight talk, among other things. In the latter case, Near usually just turns on his other side and covers his face with the pillow. Although, he can’t act if he doesn’t learn what this is about.

“What happened?” He asks, sitting up groggily on the bed.

“There is something I have to tell you”. L announces. He is sitting on the mattress like he would have sat on a chair.

“Does it have anything to do with a case?”

“No. I’d say it’s something of the more…personal nature”.

Near arched an eyebrow. “I hope it’s not related to your latest epiphany of us getting a dog”.

“No”. L rubbed the two biggest toes of his feet against each other. A gesture he often makes when there is an uneasiness at the back of his mind he doesn’t want to express verbally. “I think that I…may…well, there might be a…an insignificant… problem where my sight is concerned. But I am not 100% certain”.

_“This explains a lot…”_ Near thought. _“Like that mysterious occasional disappearance of Rester’s glasses Gevanni mentioned to me the other day. And most importantly, his avoidance of us working together. I am glad the cause had been this and not something of different nature…”_

“If so, I’ll tell Roger to arrange an appointment with an ophthalmologist for tomorrow”.

“No…!” L sounded as panic-stricken as L could sound.

“But shouldn’t we ensure whether or not there is an actual problem with your vision?”

“It might only be something transient”.

Near had never heard of ‘transient’ eye conditions in his life before, but he continued playing along with L’s game. 

“Then we’ll only ascertain that”.

“No, we are going to lose time from work. Near, I refuse to go”.

“Are you, perhaps, afraid?”

“What sort of question is that? Why would I be afraid?”

“I am only making an assumption”.

“No, Near, I am not afraid”.

“Then I’ll call Roger to tell him about the ophthalmologist”.

A short silence fell between the two of them. L pursed his lips together slightly and looked everywhere around in the room but at Near. “There…might be…a small ounce of fear within me”.

“And what is the reason of you wanting to so desperately avoid this simple check-up?”

“…If I do have the condition I suspect I have, it’s possible that some…balances between us may be disrupted. I wouldn’t want that”.

Near dragged himself closer to L’s side and cradled his cheeks in his palms. “No balance will be disrupted, I assure you”.

“Even if I am in constant need of a resource designed for the middle age?”

“Even then”.

“Even if at some point I need to acquire an artificial dentition, have to charge up the batteries of a hearing aid on a daily basis and dye my hair?”

“Yes to everything. Now try to go to sleep”.

They nested inside the covers. Near doesn’t recall L ever holding him in his arms this tightly.

Peace and quiet…

Well, almost.

“…Even if…-”

“Yes, L. Now sleep”.

“An appointment with an ophthalmologist?” Roger questioned, not fully awake yet, wearing his light-blue dressing gown.

“Why didn’t you broadcast it to the city, Roger? You would have been more discreet that way”.

“Calm down. None of the others has arrived yet”. Near reassured L, and then turned to the elderly man in the kitchen. “Yes, Roger, an appointment with an ophthalmologist. Does it sound that odd to you?”

The current Watari spared L a glance from the corner of his eye as he was making his coffee. “Not at all. On the contrary, I think it’s the right chance for someone here to understand that he’s not twenty anymore”.

Had L been a cartoon, he would be fuming from his ears by now for sure. Near sensed his exasperation and intervened. “If you don’t arrange an appointment I’ll have Rester do it”.

“No! There’s no reason to wake the poor man up at this ungodly hour because you two have no sense of time at all”.

“Thank you”.

“That goes without saying. We owe you”. Said L, glaring at Roger. He exited the room in a scurry, turning his back to the both of them.

Near had gathered from the time he was a child that visits to doctors were not L’s favourite kind of activity. He had to practically drag him from the car in order to go to the ophthalmologist’s office. For as long as they stayed in the waiting room, L didn’t sit at all. He only walked nervously back and forth longwise the chair Near was sitting.

“Mister Denker…” The secretary called after some time and Near recognised the alias Roger told him he had called on behalf of. “…The doctor is going to see your father now”.

L leaned close to Near’s ear and whispered; “Start searching CVs for a new Watari. Roger has just ended his tenure”.

“Thank you”. The younger detective replied to the secretary. “Would you like me to come inside with you?” He asked L.

“No…my child. You’d better stay here”. He went in the examination room in a hurry.

Near sat back on his seat, knowing he probably shouldn’t have let him enter alone. The last time he had accompanied L to a doctor he had been about ten years old himself, and they had gone to a dentist. He remembered crystal clear how much L wanted to have him near during the examination and how tightly he held his hand during that one cavity filling. (Even today, he still wonders how all of his five fingers remain on his hand.)

Although this particular examination is completely painless, Near still regrets not insisting more.

When L got out of the doctor’s office he looked as if he had been asked to live on vegetables for the rest of his life. His eyes were empty and he looked paler than ever.

“What is your diagnosis, doctor?” Near asked. Meanwhile, L, literally dragging his feet across the floor, managed to collapse on a chair.

“Your father has a mild farsightedness. Nothing to worry about, he is just going to need glasses”. The doctor answered, a beautiful blonde woman of about thirty years old. “I’ve written in here the kind of glasses he’s going to need”.

Near accepted the doctor’s notes and paid her. When he returned to collect the scattered pieces of his ex-mentor he was forced to drag him off the chair.

“Are you feeling alright?”

“I won’t be feeling alright for much longer if that excuse of a doctor calls me your father again”. He answered in a low tone. “We are taking our leave immediately”.

“What did the doctor say?” Roger asked as he was driving them to an optical shop in order to buy glasses for L.

“That your humor is particularly tasteless. And that you can consider yourself fired”. L snapped, before Near had the chance to say anything.

“She said that L has a very mild form of farsightedness, to be exact. But yes, Roger, I am of the same opinion. Your joke was inappropriate”.

“Well, I don’t know what to tell you, Near”. The elderly man shrugged. “It’s not my fault if the more someone ages, the more he loses his humor”.

“Should you continue this, you’ll be transferred to Wammy’s House again”. Both detectives said at the same time.

Roger didn’t dare add anything to the subject. It was more than well-known that children were not his first option for directing love to. He wouldn’t want to risk returning to his daily exhausting duty of taking care dozens of them. 

L seemed as uncomfortable at the optician shop as he did in the doctor’s office before. He was constantly transferring his weight from one foot to another and his shoulders were more hunched than usual. It was obvious he didn’t want to be there.

He didn’t really look at the glasses the clerks were showing him. His gaze was vacant and his answers were automated.

While he pretended to look at a different pair of glasses, a bit further than the two clerks, Near approached him. “You just have to choose the glasses you like most and we are leaving”.

“…Invisible glasses haven’t been invented yet”. L lamented in a monotone.

«We could buy contact lenses”. Near proposed.

“They bother me”.

“You have never tried putting them on before. How do you know they bother you?”

“I suspect they do”.

After about half an hour and many complaints from L for each pair of glasses he was shown, they finally found the ‘less unfit’ glasses (as he described them). They had relatively small, square lenses, but without angles – L didn’t want to be reminded of Watari’s or Roger’s glasses – and very slim rims. Despite the ‘patient’s’ protests, Near ordered a pair of contact lenses preemptively, saying he’d send someone to get them the next day.

Roger greeted them in high spirits when they got back into the car. “Welcome. How did it go?”

“We did buy glasses, if that’s what you were asking”. L answered grumpily.

“Then you’ll probably have to christen them. Take a look over here”. He gave Near a tablet which was open on a news page. Apparently, one of the criminals they had sent to prison last year had escaped.

L, determined to overcome the opponent called ‘farsightednesses’ tried to read the article without his glasses at first. He narrowed his eyes again, but it’s improbable for him to have seen anything more than some blurry symbols.

“Would you like me to read it to you?” Near offered sarcastically.

“I would appreciate it, yes”.

“L, put your glasses on”.

Defeated, he took the box of his newest possession, opened it so carefully as though it contained nuclear waste, and put the glasses on with an appalled frown. “Prisons take less and less security measures these days”. He commented.

“Do you want us to search for him?”

“No, leave him be. He’s hasn’t done anything yet. If he kills ten or more people, then we’ll see”. 

The conversation progressed, and the latest developments concerning crime absorbed L and he forgot to take his glasses off. This means that when they arrived at the Headquarters, his new accessory didn’t go unnoticed by Gevanni, Rester and Lidner.

Rester was the only one not to make a comment.

“L, I didn’t know you wore glasses”. Lidner said.

“Was the thief-ghost of Rester’s glasses finally caught?” Gevanni asked ironically.

L didn’t answer to any of the two. He just walked past them and curled up in his armchair, tuning on his laptop.

Near is not particularly content about the behaviour of his employees. “Lidner, Gevanni, is there a problem?”

Both of them shook their heads sideways. “No, Near”. They answered simultaneously.

“Should he have asked for your permission before wearing glasses, perhaps?”

“No, Near”.

“We weren’t implying anything”. Lidner added quickly.

“I’m glad. Now, why don’t you continue with the analysis of yesterday’s folders?”

“Of course, Near”. Gevanni and Lidner left the Investigation Room.

“Commander Rester, go bring me my dominos, please. I believe I’ll be needing them today”.

“Yes, Near”. Rester left immediately, with fast steps.

Then, the silver-haired detective approached L’s chair and made himself comfortable on the armrest. L had already begun typing away furiously.

“You know…” Near told him, resting his arm on his shoulder. “…I think the glasses rather suit you”.

That managed to win over the other detective’s attention, effectively distracting him from his typing. “…Really?”

“Yes”. Near nodded. “I’d say they grant you a more…sophisticated aura”.

“…Really”. L repeated and took off his glasses, staring at them in disbelief. “Hmm…” He put them on again and looked at his reflection at one of the turned-off screens. He bit his thumb in deep thought and Near smiled.


	2. Don't Believe What You Read On The Internet

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Summary: Near reads something on the internet by accident, which causes him to ponder on his relationship with L.
> 
> Time Setting: Wammy's Era
> 
> Chapter Rating: M

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [If you read the tags, you'll know some chapters contain shotacon. This is one of them. You're free to skip it.]

It had happened completely on accident. Near was working on an essay for the next day (because he did study, despite what Mello may think) and he happened to stumble upon an advertisement as he was browsing the internet in order to ascertain a specific piece of information. The advertisement was one of those silly articles appearing randomly on one’s screen for equally silly young women to read.

_‘Learn If Your Relationship Is Based On Sex’_ , the title of the article read.

And as Near was neither silly, nor a woman, he dismissed the advertisement as utter nonsense. He validated what he was searching for, and continued with his essay.

However, it was accurate to say he was quite unfocused during his afternoon classes because of that ‘utter nonsense’, as unusual as that was for Near. He couldn’t stop his mind from going back to that cursed article.

Truth be told, each time L returned to the orphanage, they had intercourse at least once, on average. Maybe even twice, and on extreme occasions, thrice. But that couldn’t mean their relationship was based on that, could it?

No, of course not. Near shook his head unconsciously. It wasn’t like they had nothing else to do, or talk about. He diverted his attention back to the professor.

Still, a small itch remained in the back of his mind.

After class, he tried to shake it off by playing with his toys, but it seemed like the itch didn’t want to be scratched. It was after dinner that he decided the only way to get rid of that annoying distraction was to find out what the article was exactly about.

He carried the laptop to his bed and sat in front of it, tacking one leg close to his chest. It wasn’t that difficult to find the silly article. Exactly before clicking to read it, Near questioned himself.

He was number one at Wammy's House - that by default meant he was among the smartest children in the world, if not the smartest. Yet he couldn't assess by himself whether his relationship was born out of lust or not.

No, he shook his head again.

He wasn't doing this because he wanted to learn if L was with him out of sheer physical attraction - he knew that wasn't the case. He was doing this simply because he wanted to finally get that stupid article out of his mind.

So, he gave in at last and started reading.

The next day L paid them a visit out of nowhere, as usual. He came just before dinner and actually sat with them in the Dining Hall, something he rarely did. If he was being honest with himself, Near did not exactly know how to feel about L's visit, after having read the article. It would all depend on L's behaviour.

L glanced at him in a discreet way quite a few times during dinner, but Near preferred to mostly play with his action figures and stack sugar cubes on the table. He knew what those types of glances meant; L wanted them to meet in his room afterwards.

As ridiculous as it was to admit, Near was just a little afraid. Not of going, but of the chance of L displaying the symptoms the article mentioned. Maybe 'worry' was more appropriate a word. He wouldn't ever be scared of L.

Upon entering the room, barely having closed the door behind him, L greeted him with a kiss. The kiss surprised Near, as the older man usually wasn't this direct with him.

"You came a little later than I expected". L whispered once their lips parted. He caressed Near's pale cheek with his thumb.

"I'm sorry. Perhaps it was a miscalculation of time on my part". Although, the boy didn't remember wasting any time from the moment he got up from the table.

"No need to apologize. I suppose I was just eager to see you". The detective's answer elicited an automatic happy shiver from Near.

L got up from the crouch he had previously assumed in order to kiss him, and took the child’s hand in his gently, leading him to bed.

That was no reason for Near to worry yet. They had lain on the bed and slept together in the literal sense of the word multiple times before.

“How long will you be staying?”

“A full week for certain. I am contemplating on staying for three or four additional days, but I haven’t decided yet”.

“It’s unusual for you to stay this long”. Near stated as he was being seated on the bed.

“Are you not content?” L asked rather needlessly. As if Near would ever be one to express his contentment by laughing or yelling…

“I am”. To emphasize his point, the snowy-haired boy leaned in for another kiss.

For a few moments it was nothing more than small lips tracing against larger ones. It wasn’t until after L parted his mouth to deepen the kiss that Near’s internal alarm rang. What he had read the night before started clouding his mind. But he had to remind himself that a kiss (even a more heated one) didn’t always lead to intercourse. He kissed back and obediently opened his lips.

When L’s tongue entered his mouth, it tasted no different than usual. Always sweet, almost sickly sugary. But Near found that taste far more tolerable than any other sweet. Probably because that was a part of L and not some random confection. When the larger muscle in his mouth traced the inside of his teeth and came in contact with his gums, Near instinctively entangled his arms around the older man’s neck, releasing a quiet whimper in the process.

They broke off the kiss after a while, but L didn’t pull away just yet. “I missed you very much, little one”. He breathed against Near’s lips.

“…I missed you too”. The child whispered, still out of breath.

The detective smiled faintly and pushed him back, so that he was not quite laying down, but leaning against the headboard. What Near was alarmed about the most happened; L did not stop there. Now, it could be argued that a little more display of physical affection did not necessarily lead to sex, but Near knew how L functioned – he never moved to anything further than kisses if he did not intend for them to have intercourse.

L’s arms encircled his small body, and for just one moment, as the man was trailing feather-light kisses along his jawline, he felt warm and secure. Before he remembered the article, that is. His eyes, half-lidded previously, now almost snapped wide-open and his whole body tensed. And Near knew L must have sensed that abrupt tension, as his kisses were halted for a moment. But only for a moment, because the boy did his best to will his body into relaxation again, and the kisses continued, now following an invisible path down his thin throat.

He remembered the article proposing a test, of sorts, ‘to see if you mean more to your partner than just sex’. According to the article, the couple should try to maintain at least a week of abstention from the activity. Should they fail and either indulged in each other’s carnal desires, or had a fight, that meant there was a serious lack of communication and they should break up. Well, it’s certainly easier said than done.

How could Near tell L that he wanted to ‘test’ their relationship? And all because of stupid suspicions stemming from a silly article? L would laugh at him and Near’s only achievement would be to make a fool out of himself to his mentor, for reading such garbage on the internet.

Besides, L might not even want to have intercourse tonight, right?

That suspicion was all but confuted when the detective unbuttoned the first button of Near’s white pajama shirt. Yes, L had definitely been planning for them to have intercourse. So, if Near was to speak to him, he should do it now.

For he knew, speaking would only get progressively more difficult, and L would soon have him completely lying back on the pillows.

Two more buttons came undone deftly, and the kisses on his neck continued.

But how could he approach the subject? He really didn’t expect L to visit so soon after having read the article. He wasn’t prepared at all.

Thinking got two times harder when L started tracing his chest. L’s cool fingers felt freezing cold against his warm skin and the child unwillingly shivered.

On the other hand, it wasn’t like the enjoyment was one-sided. Near liked touching and being touched by L too. He couldn’t just deprive the both of them all of a sudden of such a wonderful sensation. But then again, if their relationship was based on something as superficial as lust, Near wasn’t sure if he wanted to participate in that activity at all…

His leg accidentally brushed against L’s crotch and he could feel the man being at least half-erect already.

How long has this been going on? Near mentally counted no longer than thirteen minutes. And it was just the first night of L’s visit. Couldn’t he contain himself at least a little?

No, Near would speak. It was now or never. There would be no point in telling him after the incident.

He disentangled his hands from L’s neck and made a small effort to push him off gently. (He did not actually try, wanting L to get the message himself, knowing he didn’t possess the necessary strength to push him off anyway.)

“…L…L, there is…something I need to tell you”. The boy managed to say, regaining his breath little by little.

The insomniac detective pulled away from his neck, but did not stop holding him close. “Is it urgent?”

“…I think so”. Near avoided staring into the other’s eyes and his hand automatically went to his hair.

“I’m listening”. There was no irritation in his voice for being interrupted. Near interpreted this as a positive sign and continued.

Although, he didn’t want to get into the point so directly yet. “…Would you say our relationship is based on physical contact?”

L looked just a little surprised, making a small pause before answering. “…Do you mean, as in, intercourse?”

Near willed himself to meet L’s owl-like gaze without blushing. “Yes”.

The older man unwrapped his arms from the young boy’s body and sat back in his signature crouch, probably guessing they wouldn’t be continuing any of their previous activities. “As you know, intercourse is the physical manifestation of romantic feelings between two individuals. In most relationships, it plays a significant role in the couple’s life. I don’t think we are the exception”.

“L, that’s not what I asked”.

“If you asked whether our relationship was created only out of the desire for intercourse, namely, my desire, then the answer is negative”.

Near instantly felt a wave of relief wash over him. “And as far as communication goes, do you believe we are able of communicating with each other on a deeper level?”

Admittedly, the detective looked perplexed. “I think I can communicate better with you than I can with Watari, Near. What is the reason behind all this?”

The child bit the inside of his cheek and broke their eye-lock. “…I read an article on the internet yesterday…on accident, obviously…”

“Yes…?” L encouraged him.

“And I’ve been thinking that maybe we could try what the article suggested”.

“Which is what?”

“…We may have to stop having intercourse for at least a week”. He would be lying if he didn’t admit that sentence had been difficult to utter. The body heat the two of them had been sharing had completely faded now, and with his shirt still half-open, Near felt somewhat cold. Surely, having L on top of him now wouldn’t be that bad… No, he couldn’t be that indecisive! He made a decision, he had to keep it!

L’s eyes widened in question. “How is that related to the article?”

“That was what the article proposed”. He achieved in meeting his mentor’s wide gaze.

“What exactly was the article about, Near? I highly doubt it was appropriate for your age”.

Funny how L only just remembered age restriction, wasn’t it? Near couldn’t help but think so. Not necessarily in a bitter way, it was a simple observation.

“That doesn’t matter”.

“What is it that matters, then?”

“According to the article, a couple who chose to be partners because of romantic and not sexual desire, is able to last for a week without having intercourse. Meanwhile, a merely carnal relationship should start having problems after the first few days”.

L bit his thumbnail. Was he actually…considering it? “It’s like putting one’s relationship to the test”. He commented.

“Yes. And I do think we should try it”. Still, there was no way L would say yes, but that didn’t mean Near couldn’t find a way to convince him.

“I completely agree”. Had Near heard it right? Did L actually want them to try it…? “Since you take a random article on the internet over my word, that will be the perfect way to prove you wrong”.

No, that wasn’t what he wanted. He didn’t want L to be angry with him. He only wanted him to reconsider the motives behind some of his actions.

“L, that’s not…-”

“I’m not done, Near. Since you so insist for us to take that test, we will be doing it right. I dislike performing tasks in an offhand way. Not only will we not have intercourse, but we will be touching each other the less possible as well”. L crawled to his side of the bed and took his laptop form the nightstand.

It was Near’s turn to be dumfounded. That development he certainly didn’t expect. “It wasn’t meant to make you angry…” He scrambled closer to L. “And there is no reason to cease all touches”.

“I am not angry. I just like doing tasks correctly”. The detective felt a small tug at his sleeve. “…Hmm?” Near leaned in for a kiss, but was stopped in mid-action as soon as his shirt collar was caught between L’s index and thumb fingers, with the hand he wasn’t moving the mouse with. “None of that, I’m afraid. For at least a hundred and sixty-eight hours”.

“A kiss doesn’t have to be intimate…!” The boy countered.

“I am of the mentality ‘if you do a job, do it right’”. He let go of the shirt collar and his hand came to rest atop of his knee.

“Not even hugging, then?”

“No. There will be none of that either”. L replied without looking at him. “Now please go to sleep. You have to go to class tomorrow”.

L was obviously exaggerating because he was offended by the article’s suggestion. Well, two could play this game.

Near exhaled in silent irritation and buttoned up his shirt hastily. If that’s how L wanted it to be… He dragged himself back to his half of the bed and got under the covers, trying to sleep.

But alas, he hadn’t brought any stuffed animals with him! He hadn’t accounted for L not wanting to sleep with him. When he slept in L’s arms, he didn’t need a stuffed animal – L himself provided him enough comfort.

Now though, as there was neither L, nor a stuffed animal, he wasn’t sure how he’d sleep. However, the possibility of him asking L to take him in his arms was definitely out of the question. Near was the one who initiated this, he wouldn’t sink that low. Besides, even if he asked, L’s answer would be negative anyway.

He curled himself in a human ball, and hugging his knees he tried to sleep, facing away from L.

In the morning, L didn’t give him a good morning kiss, as he usually did. He only greeted him and told him to get ready for breakfast. Near did so, without commenting on L’s behaviour.

Aside from his relative lack of concentration in class, nothing was out of the ordinary. But today he just couldn’t take L out of his mind. That was oftentimes the aftermath of them spending the night together, but today it was different, somehow.

He wasn’t thinking about L in general, or when he would be able to see him again. He was thinking specifically about L’s cold demeanor the night before.

(Not even a good night kiss…)

Maybe Near shouldn’t have told him about the article after all…It was like practically accusing him of being nothing more than the scum of society, a pedophile. L had every right to be offended. But then again, wasn’t it logical of Near to ask for some form of…‘assurance’ for their relationship? He had never asked for any before. It was enough that L paid attention to him at all, and he had never questioned it.

But he also liked to know where he stood in the world, the situation he was in. And L should understand that. He would understand that, Near was sure of it.

Once the classes where over, in the afternoon, he had a lesson with L. These private lessons had been established with the reasoning that the number one spot needed special tutoring from L himself, and they had been the main cause for the development of feelings on Near’s part. And to think that, the lessons had originally been Watari’s idea…now that was some sweet irony.

They usually examined a hypothetical case together in theory and in the end L did a brief toll and told him what aspects of his technique he needed to improve. The first few lessons had definitely been interesting – Near found each case to be challenging, like a puzzle – but the lessons became far more enjoyable after their relationship began. They wouldn’t sit across each other with the desk separating them anymore, but Near might have taken his course from L’s lap or they might have sat beside each other on the couch of the office and discuss the case while solving a jigsaw puzzle together.

There was nothing similar to that today, however.

L was being very professional and typical today, almost painfully so. After almost a year and half they sat oppositely of each other again, each in his respective chair.

“As I have mentioned to you before, Near, sometimes it’s much more preferable to follow a hunch you might have than to rely solely on logic. You would have solved this much faster, had you followed your instinct”.

“I understand”. The pale child said in an almost robotic fashion. He couldn’t fully concentrate like that. Not when L was acting like they had gone back to square one.

“That will be all for today, then. We’ll go over this again on Friday”.

L’s speech pattern hadn’t changed. The tone of his voice hadn’t changed. But his gaze was different, in a way. It didn’t seem like he was talking to his boyfriend, his lover, but merely to his pupil.

Would he treat him like any other successor now? Even if it was only going to be for a week, Near didn’t like being treated equally. He was very used to the special treatment L gave him. Until yesterday he did, at least.

“Alright”. Near said.

After each lesson, they often spent time together; L showed no intention of following that pattern today. He opened the lid of his laptop and began typing away instantly. “You are dismissed”. And Near despised it when a pattern was broken.

“I take it we won’t be spending time together then”.

“No. There is work that needs to be done”.

“I see”.

L didn’t come to his room at night, and Near made no effort to go to his either. They didn’t meet in private until the afternoon of the next day. It was L who came to him. The boy wanted to see when he planned on visiting by himself. Near was playing with his toys in the Playroom, when L entered, closing the door, but not locking it.

“I knew I’d find you here”. The sleep-deprived detective commented as he sat down close to Near, but not too close.

“...What are we doing?” He couldn’t avoid asking this question.

“What do you mean?”

“You perfectly understand what I mean”.

“Why, we are taking the test, as you proposed. I thought that would make you content”.

“Acting like strangers does not make me content”.

“It’s a pity if that’s how you feel. Because we are not abandoning this. We are going all the way with it”. He paused for a moment, inspecting the toys surrounding them. Legos, all kinds of animals, ships, cars, and even some dolls. “Now, would you like to play?”

“No. I do not wish to play with you at the moment”. Near didn’t lift his head, but glanced at his general direction with one eye instead.

“Suit yourself”.

Near was beginning to not like this at all. For three days now L refused to come any closer to him than one meter. While he couldn’t deny missing the casual physical contact between them, he had to admit L was acting childishly, exaggerating just to prove a point.

Watari seemed happy enough, though. He was probably the only one happy with the situation.

When he found them playing chess on opposite ends, on the small table of L’s room, for the first time that he saw them together, he smiled. “Glad to see you are keeping your distances, for once”. He commented as he put the silver tray with L’s ‘reinforcements’ on the table. “What’s the score so far?”

“I have won five games, and Near has won three”. L answered, digging into his sweets immediately.

They had done nothing but play chess, that evening. They had spent their evenings playing chess before, but the air in the room was strange tonight. Near wasn’t exactly ecstatic about playing chess. Not when he hadn’t gotten a kiss out of L for more than sixty-four hours ever since he came. All because of that stupid, stupid article.

What’s worse, Watari decided to actually watch them play.

“I believe it’s check-mate, Near”. L stated with a mouthful of chocolate cake.

“The score is at six-three, then”. The boy said, his lips forming a bored pout.

“Watari…” The dark-haired man called. “…Would you be up for a game of chess? I don’t think Near is in shape today”.

This evening is just getting better and better…

Watari looked surprised, hesitating a little before answering. “Oh. Well, if Near is…-”

“It’s quite alright, Watari. I am not feeling up to playing more chess for tonight”. Near offered, making space for the elderly man on the sofa. He picked his toys from the floor and played silently, as Watari succeeded him as L’s rival.

It was one of the few times the young genius’s frustration was not directed at Watari, but at L. He had never invited Watari to play chess with them before…What was next? Inviting him on the bed to sleep with them?

It wasn’t a reason to be jealous – Watari could never be a reason to be jealous, obviously – it was just plain irritating.

That night L worked non-stop with his laptop on the bed, while Near tried to block the light-blue light emitting from the screen and sleep.

The fourth day was undoubtedly the worst so far. It was Friday, which meant Near had a lesson with L. That in itself wasn’t that bad. The fact that L chose to eat a popsicle stick – out of all the sweets he could be eating! – in front of a touch-starved Near, on the other hand, ranged from comical to tragic.

L’s tongue worked expertly on licking the strawberry-flavoured popsicle diligently, the detective not even once biting the fast-melting pastry. On second thought, Near didn’t mind Watari at all; this was pure torture. For the movements L’s mouth made were obscenely akin to how it behaved when it was wrapped around a certain part of Near’s anatomy…

The child licked at his lips unconsciously, while his fingers tugged hard at a silver lock of hair.

Near briefly wondered if it was possible for someone to face withdrawal symptoms from the lack of physical contact. As absurd as that concept was. (Absurd like that article…) But L’s lips looked so glossy, so…delicious… Near didn’t even care to think about the much too thick layer of sugar that most probably coated them now…

“Near, are you listening?”

Finally, the popsicle-martyr was over… L left the empty stick on a plate.

The boy’s daze was broken tersely. “Of course”.

“Then, if you don’t have any questions, that will be all for today”.

“None”.

“Good. I’ll be seeing you very soon”.

Near made a tremendous effort in picking himself up from the chair and practically dragged his feet to the door. It was as though his legs had been jellified. He was about to turn the doorknob, but he hesitated when he heard shuffling behind him. It sounded like…L getting off of his armchair…

His hand remained momentarily frozen over the doorknob, until his name was called. “…Near?” His heartbeat inexplicably sped up as he slowly turned around. L had indeed gotten up, standing next to his desk, subtly extending his arms in an invitation. “…Kiss?”

At the sound of that one incomplete sentence his mind proceeded to become devoid of all thoughts. The times Near had run in his life, let alone jump, could be counted in the fingers of one hand. But now he actually ran straight to his mentor, jumping in his arms with a well-calculated jump. L easily caught him in mid-air and lifted him up to his eye level. The child eagerly wrapped his arms around L’s neck, his legs around his waist (as much as he could reach) and clashed their lips together.

L’s lips tasted extra sweet today, from the icy sugar dose he had just consumed. It was a taste Near had never realised he would miss so much. L being away was one thing, but L being only a few meters far from him and yet so completely out of reach was something entirely different.

He felt those sweet lips morphing into a ghost of a smile, before L walked to the door. He held Near with only one hand for a moment, to turn the key twice and lock the door. The pale boy broke the kiss involuntarily, out of curiosity, giving L a questioning but dazed look. A thin trail of saliva hang from his mouth.

“The bedroom is much too far, I’m afraid”. L said as he continued walking towards the couch of his office.

“Watari could…-”

“No. I sent him off to run some errands for me. He shouldn’t be back before eight o’clock”.

Watari was aware of their relationship but fortunately for him, he was oblivious to their most ‘private’ moments. That’s why they could never be too careful when it came to him.

Near was quite satisfied with the answer he was given, but he became even more so when L lay him carefully on the couch and kissed him.

“…L…please…”

“Please what, little one?”

Near squirmed desperately underneath L as the bony fingers retracted from his entrance. He reached out his little arms expectantly, consumed with desire from the inside out. “…Please…make love to me…”

“You are rather impatient today…But such a request I certainly cannot ignore”.

L took his time with preparing him today, as he did with everything else. Today was as if they had all the time in the world. And he was so very gentle when he entered Near, not moving until the child told him it was alright for him to do so, while kissing the younger everywhere he could reach to distract him from the pain; his face, his lips, his neck, his chest.

The pain at the beginning of the penetration was something that couldn’t ever be avoided, despite how thorough the preparation was beforehand, but Near had quickly come to terms with it. He could tolerate pain if it meant pleasing L and if he, too, would be rewarded afterwards.

And as L began to move inside him, starting at the most careful of paces, while he held him as close as humanly possible, Near understood that this couldn’t be lust. Lust was described as something quick and premature, something temporary and something led by the search to satisfy a person’s personal wants.

But this, this was all but that, and much more. Actions so gentle, so loving, surely couldn’t be driven by lust, or some other perverted desire.

Near could reflect more on the subject – for hours, as a matter of fact – but his thought process was disrupted.

“So, Near, tell me, what have you learned today?” L’s voice tone didn’t seem fazed by the action they were currently taking part in, still calm and even as ever.

The younger genius was facing some difficulties answering, both due to the lack of breath, and due to the fact that L’s pace had quickened, causing _something_ inside him to be fondled repeatedly quite pleasantly. “…I…learned that…”

“Yes?” L punctuated the question with the deeper thrust, earning an equally louder moan from the child beneath him.

“…That I shouldn’t read… such articles on…on the internet…”

“You can read any article you want. Just…don’t let it affect you that much, alright?”

The boy merely hummed his affirmation, too consumed by pleasure to muster a clearer answer. The detective smiled at that reaction, bringing one hand to stroke his successor according to the rhythm of his thrusts.

Near regretted the moment ever having led his eyes on that article. In the end, it was just like he had assessed it at the beginning; utter nonsense. How could he have doubted L, his idol, his mentor, his lover, over such nonsense? How could it have made him waste their time together? He couldn’t believe it himself at the moment. 

Under such attentive treatment, it wasn’t long before Near’s toes curled, and his mind was emptied completely as he came with an arch of his back. L’s thrusts inside him felt a little odd now that he had come, but that didn’t prove to be much of a problem, as L soon followed him.

L held him close for a few seconds, inhaling their combined scents, before slowly pulling out. Near always felt a bit empty immediately after being forced to separate from the detective. His arms, not having any strength left, stopped holding each other around L’s neck, and he fell back on the couch.

After such an activity, his body almost always felt tired, so it wasn’t a surprise when he quickly dozed off as L was caressing his hair.

~

_“Exactly as planned…”_ L thought as he repositioned Near, so that now the boy was lying on the inner side of the couch, and he lay next to him.

Now, that article had certainly been unexpected, but L was satisfied with the way he handled the situation. Well, alright, maybe he did feel a tiny bit guilty for tricking Near to it, but it was unimportant, almost nonexistent. Near didn’t need any assurance of his feelings towards him. He was supposed to be above that. L only reminded it to him.

It was Friday today, which meant that normally Near had classes in the afternoon too, besides morning. That would be a major inconvenience, except if L called his teachers and said he needed Near for the rest of the afternoon. Which wouldn’t be a lie, really. He needed to make up for the lost time that absurd advertisement forced them to waste.

_“I really don’t know how it crossed your mind that we could stay away from each other after me being absent for nearly two months…”_ He kissed the child’s forehead and snuggled closer to him, patiently waiting for him to wake up.

There was also some actual catching up that needed to be done.


	3. Help Wanted - Part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Summary: Watari has an accident which renders him unable to help L for a while. L still needs a helper though, so he temporarily hires Naomi Misora to replace Watari. Near has some doubts about his choice. 
> 
> Time Setting: Wammy's Era
> 
> Chapter Rating: T

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was getting a little bored from writing adult Near in my other story, so I wrote this instead. It's long, so expect a part 2 tomorrow or the day after tomorrow.
> 
> [If you read the tags, you'll know some chapters contain shotacon. This is one of them. You're free to skip it.]

"Are you not working?" Near asked as he walked over to L's side.

The detective's desk was a mess. While that wasn't anything new, those papers spread across the wooden surface did not seem like case files. Upon closer inspection, each sheet had a photo of a different person clipped on the upper left corner.

"Not in the traditional sense of the word, I suppose". Came L's answer as he tossed a paper on the floor disappointedly.

Near bent on his knees and picked the discarded white sheet. It displayed information such as the first and last name of the person in this particular picture - a broad-shouldered, dark-haired man in his late thirties - as well as his occupation, qualifications and the extra ability to be 'good at handling guns'. "Why are you looking at CVs?"

L stopped ravaging his desk for a moment and turned his chair slightly sideways. "You do remember that Watari has broken his leg, right?"

"Of course".

Earlier that week, as L and Watari were departing from their aeroplane, Watari took a miscalculated step and slipped, resulting in him breaking his right leg. He was immediately transferred to the nearest hospital and L spent the night with him, thus arriving at Wammy's House a day later, by himself. Watari's absence roused a lot of questions, curiosity and concern both from the children and the staff. The founder of the orphanage was respected and loved by everyone so they all arranged to visit him at the hospital in small groups.

Near was not happy for what happened to Watari. No, happiness would be a pretty strong word to describe his emotions towards the accident. He was only partially relieved him and L would be able to spend a few days without Watari spying on them. It's not like he was in any actual danger. In this day and age, an operation on fractured bones is more common than coming down with the flu.

"Unfortunately, I think I am going to need some help. I can't work without someone acting as a mediator between me and law enforcement agencies, or without someone constantly providing me with sweets".

"I could bring you your sweets". Near offered spontaneously, before completing his thought process. He regretted speaking instantly after the words left his mouth. He did want to help, but, ultimately, L would turn down the offer and they would soon have had a useless dialogue. Neither of them liked pointless conversations. He let the sheet back on the carpet.

"And would you be able to represent me in front of agents and policemen? I don't think so". Near had partly anticipated that kind of answer. "Besides, I wouldn't want to assign the oftentimes demanding task of supplying me with sweets to you, of all people".

Excitement rose in Near's chest even at that tiny, indirect sign of caring. It was the aforementioned excitement that caused him to speak on more impulse than he would have liked again. "Perhaps you could take a small break then".

"Impossible. Watari is going to be bedridden for two months, at the very least. I can't stay inactive for that long". L said, stretching his hand towards the boy's direction. "Now, come here. I'd like you to help me find a temporary replacement for Watari".

Near approached L without hesitation and L helped him sit comfortably on his lap. "Watari is not going to be easy to replace". Despite him getting irritated with the elderly man intervening with him and L when he shouldn't, Near had to admit Watari possessed a variety of significant skills, and was a valuable helper to L.

"I know".

They spent the whole evening examining every CV available to them. The number of which, was by no means small. Near thought that if they were to stack each sheet of paper on top of the other, a paper tower possibly higher than L's desk would be formed.

The already messy office floor became even messier as their research carried on, since L insisted on getting disposed of the choices they'd already eliminated by tossing them off the desk. Finding a replacement for Watari (even a temporary one) turned out to be a much more difficult task than it had originally seemed. L was extremely picky and rigorous with every candidate Near proposed to him. And Near found that to be fair – Watari's role wasn't exactly a minor one – but after almost three hours of looking and looking and no agent being able to appeal to L, this was growing tiresome. The child never had a problem with sitting in the same place for hours, but after sitting on L's bony legs for a hundred and seventy-one minutes, he discovered the lower half of his body could use some stretching.

He picked up another CV and cast a relatively quick look at it. It wasn't overly impressive, but it wasn't mediocre either. It might be worth a glance from L. The picture on the upper left corner showed a black-haired Japanese woman in her early twenties. "How about this one?" He asked, moving the paper closer to L.

The older man's eyes took more time to scan this CV than they had taken with the other ones. They rested on the woman's photo for a moment. A momentary hint of recognition flashed through them. "Ah… Naomi Misora… I remember her". L said, bringing his thumb to his mouth.

"You do?"Near wondered out loud. L hardly ever remembered the last names of the agents he had worked with, let alone their surnames.

"Yes. She happened to work on Backup's case". He snatched the paper away from Near with his thumb and index finger and scanned it once more. "Near, I think you've found our temporary Watari".

"Really?"

"Yes. Naomi Misora is a unique type of agent. Our collaboration was excellent".

Near had never heard so much praise come out of L's mouth. Not for an investigation leader, not for a chief of the police, and surely not for a simple agent. She should be really capable. "So you're settling on her then?"

He nodded. "I do think she is the best choice".

"If you say so…" The decision seemed to have happened too fast for Near, but he wasn't about to complain. After almost three hours of searching, he was relieved they were done.

"Sometimes, two pairs of eyes are indeed better than one". L ran a hand through the boy's white hair, and his fingers lingered on his cheek for a moment. "Thank you for helping me with this".

"…And when are you going to contact her?"

"Tomorrow morning. The sooner the better. Assuming she is in the United States right now, she is going to need at least seven hours to move to England".

Near turned his body around in surprise. "You are going to bring her here?"

"Believe me, I'm not very fond of the idea either, but long-distance communication will be ineffective on a daily basis. Besides, I've deduced she is a trustworthy person". L's behaviour towards this 'Naomi Misora' was highly unusual. It was extremely rare for him to actually trust people. And he seemed to trust this woman enough to bring her to Wammy's House… It was strange, but he didn't ask about it. Mainly because he didn't have the time to. "Now that we've taken care of this, shall we go to bed?"

"Yes". He didn't realise he was getting tired until L posed the question. He tied his arms around his mentor's neck, and L got up, carrying Near with him, who couldn't help but feel a tiny bit guilty about the unfortunate maid that would clean up the chaos they had left the office in.

Naomi Misora's arrival wasn't supposed to be formal, or grandiose. But it turned out to be both.

First of all, she didn't come to the orphanage by herself, but a member of the staff drove her there from the airport. And on top of that, L was waiting at the front dooryard, in order to personally greet her. That only added on to L's bizarre attitude towards her. He had never greeted a guest in such a direct way – in fact, Near was positive guests didn't even _meet_ L, unless they spotted him somewhere by chance.

He watched their first exchange from the window in his bedroom, all while twirling his hair in thought... When Misora came up to L she made a small bow, as a sign of respect. L did not bow back, as expected. Aside from the apparent respect, Near wasn't able to gather much. They were not close enough for him to hear them, not even close enough to read at least Misora's lips, since L had his back turned to him. He didn't notice any kind of special familiarity between them. Even though L said she had worked on Backup's case, this could be the first time she saw his face, and it probably was.

When he went downstairs for launch, Naomi Misora was the main subject of every conversation he happened to overhear. The other children had picked up on her presence almost unbelievably quick. But it was a given, considering this was an orphanage full of children whose intelligence exceeded the average. The halls were filled with chattering about 'the woman in leather'. (Observation was one of Near's most prominent qualities, but he wasn't intrigued enough to ponder about the material of Misora's clothes.) He even heard some of the cooks and the maids talking about her as he got past the kitchen.

It didn't end after lunch was served either.

She continued to be the main subject of many conversations for the entirety of their meal. They were making guesses about her name, her occupation and of course, the reason of her being here. During the few moments that Matt had put down his handheld game to hold his fork, he was heard saying to Mello: "Dunno who she is, but she's hot".

To which the temperamental blonde answered: "Agreed. But there's no way she'd ever date you".

"I'm a modern man, Mels. We don't need to date if we just want to have a little fun". The boys sitting close to them burst into loud laughs.

Near just rolled his eyes at Matt's implication and his tasteless attempt at humour. He supposed it was logical for Matt to find her attractive – he was, after all, thirteen, which was most commonly the period when awareness for the opposite sex was roused – but Near found it sad to stop thinking with your mind and start counting on…other organs at a certain age.

L didn't show up for lunch, which wasn't anything new. Near wondered if he was still with her.

…Would they be in his office?

"Say, Near, who's the lady that's been brought here today?" Sen asking him this was sudden, as he rarely ever spoke to him.

"And why would I know the identity of that woman, Sen?" Pretending to be clueless wasn't difficult. He wasn't particularly bad at the start, but he's had a couple of years to practice too.

"We all know that out of us you're the one who gets to spend the most time with L. Surely he must have said something to you".

"I'm certain you are aware L never speaks about his life outside of Wammy's".

"Not even to you? Come on, you've got a lesson with him thrice a week when he's here".

"It seems that a private lesson is not enough to inspire confidence to L".

A few more completely neutral answers later, Sen finally realised there was no point in continuing the conversation and left. But Near's peace and quiet (as much peace and quiet as he could get in a huge hall filled with almost forty loudly-talking children) didn't last long, as Linda asked him some more questions identical to Sen's. Near had to admit she was harder to get rid of.

"Oh…well…if even you don't know, then it must be a top-secret… Anyways, have you studied for the exam on Friday?" When she ascertained his ignorance over the matter, instead of leaving, she changed the topic of the discussion, much to his dismay.

"…Which one?" Near asked half-heartedly. Couldn't she sense that he didn't want to speak to her?

"The one in Chemistry".

Linda, ever since the last 14th of February has developed the inexplicable and bothersome tendency of sometimes sitting next to him while he plays with his toys, talking to him – which the majority of times results in a monologue on her part – and even asking him to pose as a model for her drawings.

"I have".

Near mentioned the situation to L once, after having tried to unsuccessfully solve the mystery of Linda's bizarre behaviour by himself. But the detective had merely chuckled quietly.

_"She probably has feelings for you"._ He had said, as if it were the simplest explanation in the world. _"Not in the same way we have feelings for each other, of course, but try not to discourage her too much. She could be proven useful"._

He has contemplated L's advice multiple times, but to this day he still doesn't have the slightest idea about how Linda's love-struck attitude could be useful under any circumstances.

The gossip and the speculations about Naomi Misora weren't subdued at all until late in the afternoon, when L officially announced her as his temporary assistant. The children, mainly the boys, were something more than eager to meet her and asked L where she was. They seemed greatly saddened when they heard that Naomi Misora had left the orphanage shortly after her arrival for her first mission as the new Watari, and would return in two days, if all went according to plan.

"Naomi-san has become quite the talk of the town hasn't she?" L commented a couple of hours later, as they were lying next to each other.

"So it seems. Especially amongst boys, from what I've heard".

The corners of L's mouth were tugged just slightly. "Why am I not surprised".

…Was L charmed by her like the others were?

Well, Near supposed Naomi Misora was a conventionally attractive woman – she was relatively tall, had a thin figure, black but sleek hair, and pale skin – but beauty alone couldn't be enough to cater to L's taste, could it? No, if that were the case, Near wouldn't be in his bedroom at this very moment.

Not to mention, she was but a mere agent. She wasn't even the head of a department.

Perhaps he was too quick to blame L for something. It's not as though he had made any comments towards her body – like Matt and the others had – or did anything incriminating like stare at her more curved parts. Not to Near's knowledge, at least.

The sound of his name being called brought him back to present.

"Near? You're a little absent tonight, aren't you? Is something the matter?" L brought a hand to his face.

"No, I was only thinking. How did the meeting with Misora go?"

"As you know, she's not Watari, but I'm convinced she'll get the hang of it. She'll make a decent replacement".

On the bright side, he didn't seem overly positive about her efficiency…

But what was Near thinking? All of these supposed 'suspicions' were not reasonable whatsoever. Besides, Naomi Misora had left. How could she pose a threat when she was miles away?

Falling asleep had never been particularly difficult for Near. But for this convenience to be balanced, he was also very easy to wake up. Even the slightest of sounds or a movement larger than tossing around on the bed could disturb his sleep.

This time, it was an odd, vibrating sound that rang and awakened him. It was sudden, yet recognisable. But Near couldn't exactly categorize the noise in his still half-asleep state. He rubbed his eyes with his hands to quicken the process of waking up.

The first thing he took notice of was that L's arms weren't around him, nor was the detective laying next to him. His mentor was crouched atop of the bed, waiting for his laptop to load some kind of platform and then typing away immediately once it appeared.

The whitish-blue light from the screen was too bright to look at directly after barely being awake for a minute. He rubbed his eyes again and moved himself to a sitting position, letting the comforter fall to his thighs.

"What are you doing?" He asked with a slightly hoarse voice.

While it wasn't unusual for L to continue working during the night, or to wake up in order to work, the display on the screen didn't look like a document L had to investigate or like photos he had to analyze. It looked more like a platform for messaging. He could be writing to Watari, but they had already talked earlier on the phone today, and there wasn't much news at the hospital they could speak about anyway.

Therefore, that only left one person L could be messaging at – Near checked the clock on the wall – 2:37 AM.

Naomi Misora.

"Nothing. Go back to sleep". L answered, giving him a sideways glance.

"Did something happen to Misora?"

"No. Everything is going smoothly thus far".

"That's good". Near's head drooped a little, so he had to support it with his hand. Although it wasn't a remarkably tiring day as far as classes went, Near did feel tired. Perhaps it was the tension Naomi Misora's arrival had created. She had interrupted their quiet life like a rock falling in a calm lake's waters.

L pressed one last button and then turned to him with an apologetic look on his face. "I don't think I can lie down again. I must stay awake in case Naomi needs my guidance". (…Naomi… Not even 'Naomi-san'…) "But you shouldn't stay up as well".

The boy threw the comforter completely off him and sleepily crawled up to L, spreading his legs so he could slide in between them. He curled his body and let his head rest on the man's chest, facing away from the screen.

"Yes, that could work too, I suppose". L said. He lifted Near up a little so that he could sit in a crisscrossed position, to better accommodate both of them, and pulled a thin blanket from the edge of the bed they kept folded and ready for such occasions. He wrapped it around the child, making sure no parts of his body were exposed except his head.

Near quickly felt himself relax at the warmth from the blanket and from L. He could look deeper into Naomi Misora in a few hours.

The next day, when Near visited L in his office he found him yet again engaged in a written conversation with Naomi Misora. L told him he would be busy for the rest of the afternoon and that he'd come to his room later at night.

Even though Near wasn't all too happy with the turn the situation took, he didn't press into it. But he did wonder afterwards how effective Misora's work would be if all she did was message L… Novice though she may be, Near believed it was far better to gain knowledge through personal experience and not just through specific advice.

While he was playing with his toys, waiting for L, he pondered about what he and Misora could be talking about. Could they – he wondered – be talking about something…other than work? Something more…personal?

It was at that moment he realised all he did for the past couple of days was think about her. Perhaps not for the same reason as the rest of the boys…-

That led him to different, more profound thoughts.

He knew for a fact that he was not attracted to Naomi Misora. Then, why had she practically taken over his brain?

The answer seemed practically under his nose, if it weren't for the fact that it was unreasonable and ridiculous.

No, why would Near be jealous of her?

It wasn't like L neglected him in favour of tending to her.

…Or was it?

The door was cracked open quietly – L was here. "I didn't find you at the Dining Hall so I thought you might be here". He stepped inside. "Wouldn't you like to go downstairs?"

Was it dinnertime already?

Was the whole afternoon wasted on pointless, jealous thoughts?

This couldn't continue.

"Yes. I was just finished". The small boy got up. While it wasn't uncommon for him to be so immersed in playing with his toys that he entirely forgot about dinner, this was different. He shouldn't have let Misora's actions affect him so.

But it was becoming harder and harder to ignore her. As if everyone gossiping about her in the Dining Hall wasn't enough, she and L resumed their exchange of messages, even after dinner, when Near and L moved to the detective's room.

"I won't be taking too long". L told him as he was about to write the next message to her. "Would you like to play with your toys until I'm done?"

Near nodded reluctantly. He wondered if they had made any actual progress. On the case, and not on their interpersonal relationship.

Of course, she could be just keeping L informed about the situation. But Near couldn't know that. L would never share the details of a case with him. And this time, he wasn't even aware of the most basic information – he was completely in the dark. The thought wasn't exactly reassuring or calming.

He smashed two of his robots together.

"Near, please keep it down". L said from his position behind the desk without gracing him with his gaze. "We can play together later".

He would have huffed in annoyance, but he refrained from doing so, in fear of creating too much noise and distracting L from his high-quality crosstalk. Near considered going back to his own room, if only to express his emotions towards the situation, but he didn't want to miss out on L's reactions to the messages he was receiving.

Some time went by. Probably about twenty minutes or so. The only sound that echoed in the large bedroom was L's fingers hitting the keys on the laptop.

At some point, the typing stopped for just a few seconds and L made a low, chuckling sound. It was a quiet, almost melodic sound that calmed Near down, but given the current context, it was more worrisome than anything else.

What was she writing to him?

…A joke?

"L, have you met Misora before?" Near asked him in the morning, before he went to prepare himself for breakfast.

"I'm assuming you mean a face-to-face encounter".

"Yes".

"I have. Once. It was just after Backup was imprisoned".

"Was it the peculiarity of the case that urged you to meet her, or her skills?"

"Why are you asking this all of a sudden?" L slightly quirked an eyebrow.

"Just out of curiosity".

The man pulled him closer and kissed his cheek, as if that could count as an answer. "Go get ready for breakfast". He gave a gentle pat to his shoulder. "I'll tell you later".

Near knew perfectly well what 'later' meant when an adult said it. It could be translated as: 'I have no intention of telling you', or: 'You're too young to be asking this'.

He couldn't believe it was L who just threw a dismissive 'later' to him this time.

As anticipated, L never brought it up. But at least he told him that after their private lesson they would spend the whole evening together. So, that was something to look forward to. If Misora didn't decide to be talkative today, that is.

"Now that we've reduced the suspect list down to three, who do you think is most likely to be the perpetrator?" Near was about to answer – it was a ridiculously easy question – but the standard, monotone ringtone from L's cellphone was faster. "Excuse me, Near. Just a moment".

"Is it Watari?"

L resettled the child on his lap to have better access to his jeans' pocket and fish out his phone. "No". Then it was her. Very few people had L's number, and Near was 96% certain, she had very recently become one of them. "This is L. Do you have something to report, Naomi-san?" His deduction wasn't wrong. "Hmm…I see. Then arrange me a meeting with him. I'll make the interrogation myself. Have him be ready in exactly one hour. No, that will be all for now. There is a high probability of you boarding the plane for England tonight". The detective left the cellphone on the edge of the desk. "I'm sorry for the interruption. Now, where were we?"

"We were choosing the final suspect". The words were spoken in bitterness, as much as Near tried to hide it.

It wasn't the first time L cancelled something because of a case and it certainly wouldn't be the last. But somehow the fact that L not spending time with him was correlated to Naomi Misora angered him. It was definitely unreasonable for the most part, but that didn't stop irritation from gathering down his stomach.

"Near, is there something I should know?" L inclined his upper body down, resting his head just next to the boy's shoulder. His sweet, warm breath hit Near's cheek with each exhalation.

One would think Near would have eventually gotten used to the more sudden moments of physical proximity after a fair amount of time. He hadn't. Not completely at least. L leaning over was uncounted for. But he still looked into his mentor's eyes. "Not that I can think of".

"Are you sure?"

"Yes".

"100% sure?"

"Yes".

A larger hand searched for his own and intertwined their fingers. And then there was a tiny laugh. Near looked up from their hands, knowing that laugh, and not particularly liking it. It was a laugh meant to tease. It was quite low in volume – one could have missed it if they weren't absolutely intent on listening – but it was there.

"My, my, Near…if I didn't know you any better, I'd say you were jealous".

The child's pallid cheeks unwillingly heated up in shame for being found out. It wouldn't have taken a genius to decipher his behaviour in the first place, and L was far more than that.

"Jealous? Of what?" His voice didn't falter, but he knew all too well that the battle was already lost. He just wanted L to leave the subject alone.

"You know Naomi and I have a strictly professional relationship, do you not?" His thumb rubbed smoothly against the soft skin on the back of Near's palm and against his knuckles. That felt nice… Reassuring, even…

"I'm not jealous of Misora, if that's what you're insinuating".

"Are you not?" The teasing undertone was still there.

"No". Near replied adamantly.

"Alright. I believe you". The spidery fingers disentangled from his hand. He obviously didn't believe him. L was only toying with him at this point. "So, little one, which suspect is your final choice?"

"I'll be visiting Watari at the hospital today. Would you like to come?" L asked him the day after, just a few minutes after he had woken Near up. They were still under the covers, none of them feeling so energetic as to make an effort to leave the bed yet.

Near, following the small team of children he was assigned to, had gone to visit Watari two days ago, but he didn't mind going again at all, if it meant accompanying L.

This was also the day Naomi Misora would return from her 'first mission'. But he was determined to not let his mind wander down that path until she stood in front of him in flesh and bone.

They left after morning classes were over. The hospital was located at a more central part of the city, so, naturally, there was traffic and it took them quite some time to get there. After they got out of the car he almost immediately reached for L's hand, and they walked like that until they found Watari's room. (In the rare event that they left for the city together, L told him to always hold his hand.)

Watari didn't look half-bad for a man who only just recently had broken his leg. He was sitting upright on the hospital bed, and his leg was being held up, hidden in a plaster cast, but there was still a subtle smile on his face when he saw them. Watari has always been one of those people who prefer to look at the half-full version of the glass, rather than the half-empty one.

"Thank you for coming to visit me, boys". He said after they had taken a seat next to the bed. "I do hope you are not…" He coughed politely. "…overdoing it with intimacy now that I'm not there to supervise you".

"Of course not, Watari". The detective replied, and unlike some of the other times they were left 'unsupervised, it was true.

"You can rest at ease". Near added.

"How have you been?" L asked his helper.

"It's nothing that I can't handle. I've had worse injuries before".

"Have the doctors mentioned anything about the date you're going to be discharged?"

"They're not fully certain yet. It might take another week or two".

"I see".

"But enough with me. I'm sure you two spend your day more productively. Near, how are your classes going?"

"Nothing out of the ordinary".

"I presume you maintained the first rank for this month as well, isn't that right?" The question was rather unnecessary, as Watari could most likely access the rankings of every month very easily.

"Yes".

"I'm happy to hear that. Congratulations!" When Near didn't respond he turned to L. "So, L, you told me you've found a replacement for the next couple of months".

"I have".

"Is it someone I know?"

"It's Naomi Misora. Do you remember her? From the murder cases in Los Angeles?"

Watari's face lit up in a matter of milliseconds. "Ah, Naomi-san! Of course. You can't forget her…" Near didn't like the inflexion of his voice… It seemed like he was implying something. He also didn't like where the conversation was going… He regretted not having brought any toys with him. His hands eventually became restless, and the only natural solution was to twirl his hair. "So? Is she fulfilling her role successfully thus far?"

"She has completed her first mission and she should currently be on her way back".

"You mean you brought her to the orphanage?" Surprise was evident all over the elderly gentleman's face.

"Yes".

"Well…I must say I am most taken aback… It's the very first time you do that… I never expected you to…-"

"I only did it because it was necessary, Watari".

…Was it really necessary though? Why wouldn't long-distance communication be effective, like it was on Backup's case?

"Of course. Just allow me to say that you made a great decision in choosing her. Miss Naomi is one of the most capable agents I've encountered".

"I know".

"And not just that…" Watari continued praising Misora. "…she is also a quite beautiful woman. Wouldn't you say so?"

Near's head instantly turned to L's direction, waiting for his reaction, his fingers clenching the tuft of hair tightly in anticipation.

"Yes".

This…this didn't feel right… He was still in the room, after all. Couldn't L at least talk to Watari about that in private…?

"The person she devotes herself to will be lucky".

"I suppose, yes". L agreed, without hesitating.

To sum up, Near didn't like the visit at all. But he couldn't exactly leave by himself, could he?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hadn't even realised I missed writing Watari until now...!


	4. Help Wanted - Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Summary: Watari has an accident which renders him unable to help L for a while. L still needs a helper though, so he temporarily hires Naomi Misora to replace Watari. Near has some doubts about his choice.
> 
> Time Setting: Wammy's Era
> 
> Chapter Rating: M

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This part could have been rated T too, if I had kept my fingers from typing a specific scene. 
> 
> [If you read the tags, you'll know some chapters contain shotacon. This is one of them. You're free to skip it.]

There she was again. Near noticed the black car passing by the open iron gates of Wammy’s House. This time, he needed to see her from up close. He convinced himself that it wasn’t jealousy that had consumed him, but curiosity. He could, after all, just be curious about the sound of her voice.

An idea came to him on his way downstairs – walking a little faster than usual, because he had to see her before she and L locked themselves in L’s office again. And he finally knew how to use Linda to his advantage.

Usually, at this time of the day, Linda would be drawing, sitting at a desk in the Common Room diagonal from Roger’s office. Which came in handy, considering the room was right next to the staircase for the upper floors and very close to the main entrance.

Linda seemed too engrossed in her drawing to greet him, bend over her small desk as she was, so for the first and (hopefully) the last time, Near took the initiative. “Hello, Linda”.

Her head snapped up so quickly Near feared it would detach itself from the rest of her body. “Oh…Near…I…I wasn’t expecting you to come here…” She hurriedly covered her sketchbook. “So…um, how are you?”

The boy’s face morphed to a more innocent, less cold expression. “Am I not allowed to see what you are drawing?”

Her hands covered her creation even more protectively. “Uh…it’s… it’s not done yet…And it’s not good at all, I don’t like it. In fact, I think I’m gonna throw it away. Believe me, it’s that bad”.

He heard footsteps approaching the doorstep from the outside. Sneakers and boots, from the sound of it. They were coming closer.

“Please, Linda?”

She melted at the cloaked pleading tone of his voice. “...Ok…but I warned you”. The sketch was supposed to represent him. It wasn’t anything original, as Linda had attempted to draw him many times in the past – even if she didn’t know Near was aware of it – but she was beginning to make some serious progress on her skills.

“Is that supposed to be me?” He asked softly.

“Yes…” Her cheeks reddened. “I’m sure I haven’t captured all the details, but I did it…you know, without looking at you”.

"Well…" The footsteps came closer. The door of the Common Room was ajar. There was no chance of L missing them as he and Misora climbed upstairs. The front door clicked open. "It's a pity if such a unique work of art remains incomplete. Therefore…I suppose…-"

"You'll pose for me?" She squealed excitedly. The acoustic frequency of that sentence had hurt Near’s ears, but L was letting Misora step inside – actually holding the door for her. She thanked him and her leather boots squeaked as she walked. (What was with this woman and leather clothes, really?) Her voice was gentle, but her English accent lacked, in Near’s opinion. There was still some Japanese essence that lingered in it.

“Yes, if that will help”.

Her body unexpectedly shot up from the chair and she coiled her arms around him tightly. The physical contact was unpleasant, but Near forced himself to not stay rigid, and return the hug. He needed to remember, L could see them. “I can’t believe it! After so much time, you’ll finally pose for me!” He very awkwardly put his hands on her shoulders and just left them there, unsure of what else to do. (Yes, L hugged him from time to time, but this was different. The back of Linda’s neck wasn’t nearly broad or strong enough for his arms to be wrapped around it.) She pulled back briskly. “Wait…how come you want to pose for me so suddenly? What changed?”

“I believe it has to do with the fact that I have nothing better to do. Although I asked Roger for new toys a few days ago”.

“Ooh…I see. I think I have a puzzle in my room. You could try it out while I’m drawing you. It only has five hundred pieces though. It’ll be too easy for you”.

“Thank you, Linda”.

She came dangerously close to him. Near tugged at the oversized sleeve of his pyjama in order to stay in place as Linda puckered her lips and placed them on his cheek. There was the urge to wipe the spot her mouth had touched but he resisted it. It wasn’t due to any personal grudge against her, he just didn’t know the details of her oral hygiene. “I should be thanking you, for helping me”. The corner of his eye caught L turning his back to the open door with a mostly indifferent look. He said something to Misora too, but Near didn’t pick up on it. “So, what do you say? Should we go to my room?”

“Yes, I think it’s the most appropriate place for you to concentrate”. Had L not seen them? No, that was impossible. But he hadn’t reacted at all. Not even a furrowed brow – nothing. He just…-

Linda grabbed his wrist with strength Near didn’t know she possessed and dragged him out of the Common Room. There was an unpredictable smile on her face as she led him to her room. They were almost running up the stairs, when they saw L and Misora. But Linda paid them no mind and just dragged Near past them.

Misora gave them a surprised glance as they nearly brushed against her leg, but L only looked at them blankly.

Perhaps it would have been better if he had been able to stay alone. It wasn’t like Linda managed to distract him from Misora anyway. But it didn’t matter. Now that he had seen her from up close, Near only managed to make himself worry more. He had to admit, she was quite…impressive in person.

…How had he been downgraded to such a jealousy-blinded fool?

The mattress creaked slightly as L joined him on the bed. Laying down at the end of the day and sleeping seemed all they did anymore.

“How is Linda doing?” L asked him.

“She is perfectly healthy, if that was what you wanted to know”. Near laid on his back, mostly staring at the ceiling.

“Did your portrait come out nice?”

“It’s not finished yet. How is Misora?”

“Her first case was a complete success, so I gave her the day-off for tomorrow. Unless an organization asks for my help, that is”.

L, giving day-offs? That was new. But, knowing him, he had probably already had the first contact with the organization and just waited for them to call Misora. So there was no actual day-off. Just a lie.

To L’s credit, his behaviour hadn’t changed drastically. It was mostly Misora Near didn’t trust. However unreasonable that may sound.

He only now felt the hand that was cupping his cheek and the fingers playing absently with his hair. "What is it that has captured your attention so?" 

Near hadn’t meant to space out like that… “Nothing in particular. I’m sorry. What were you saying?”

“I asked if you enjoyed your play date with Linda”. That teasing smile was back. Near didn’t like it, and yet, it wasn’t connected to Misora in any way.

“It wasn’t a play date”.

“Oh? Was it just a date, then?” (So he _had_ seen them.)

But it didn't seem at all like L was having an internal conflict like he has been having for the past days. It seemed more like he had foreseen Near’s intention and was mocking him. Whether about the action itself or about the execution, Near didn’t know, but he didn’t like it enough to want to explore it further.

The boy pushed the hand of his humourless lover away from his face and turned his back to him. "Frankly, I am quite tired and in no mood to hear incoherencies".

Soon, there was warmth against his back. L had moved. “How tired are you, Near?”

"Very".

The hand returned to his face again. “Are you too tired for what I’ve had in mind for us tonight?” The hand slid down his neck, unfastening a button of his white pyjama shirt with ease, and continued its way until it was touching Near’s stomach. It pushed, turning him on his back again with minimal effort.

L’s lips were on his barely a moment later, giving Near no time to pull himself away, or protest. The kiss was slow and tender. It had been days since they last kissed like this. Near was too taken aback to reciprocate at first – however he couldn’t help but surrender himself to it when L just slightly tugged at his lower lip.

An odd loneliness overtook him when L's mouth no longer covered his, and almost made a move to draw him back by his shirt, but stopped because the detective leaned closer again. He gave him another kiss. Not on the lips but on the cheek, to Near’s disappointment.

L smiled against his cheek, as his mouth still wandered there. “You know, I rather liked your plan with Linda. I was sure you’d find a way to benefit from her feelings”.

“L…-” Another kiss (thankfully on the lips this time) silenced him.

“Are you still tired?”

At least L acknowledged his effort, even if he hadn’t fallen for it. It was the only way Near could warrant his next response.

“I’m certain I won’t be passing out anytime soon”.

“That’s fortunate to hear”.

L seemed to be in no rush tonight, which only managed to make Near more eager with every passing minute. The kisses, the touches, the strokes – everything – was slow and soft, yet never quite enough. They only left the child squirming and writhing between the sheets, unable to do anything to find relief.

Once the man bent down to kiss him again, he tried thrusting his hips upwards, in search of friction, but to no avail. L was supporting himself on his hands and knees, and was therefore far out of his reach. He soon resigned and just laid back.

He might have been stripped down to his underwear, but even the usually cool fabric felt too hot and constricting against his crotch now.

His mentor only reacted to his predicament with an amused smile. Smiling at a time like this… Near almost disliked him when he did that. Almost. He couldn't truly dislike him when L placed his hand over the now more than apparent bulge that protruded through his boxers and stroked gently. The sensation was too sudden and powerful, yet insufficient. The bizarre balance between the three almost made Near want to cry.

L lowered his body down again and the boy latched onto the back of his neck cleverly, pulling him towards him for a messy kiss. The man’s hand left him for a moment –making him moan quietly into L’s mouth from the loss – but it was only to finally take the constrictive underwear off. Near all but kicked it off as soon as it was dragged down his knees.

Now all that remained was for L to take off his trousers and his own underwear…

Near was far too gone to care about the irritating, ring-like sound that he was vaguely hearing in the distance with the detective suckling on his throat as if it were a popsicle. But the noise was persisting. And L didn’t ignore it.

It took a second or two for Near to register that the nagging noise was coming from L’s phone.

“…Don’t…don’t pick it up…” Was as much as his lungs allowed him to say.

“You know I can’t not answer. It could be Watari. Or Naomi”.

_“All the more reason to not pick it up then…”_

“But…-”

He was interrupted with a quick peck on the lips. "It'll only take a few moments, I promise". L didn't wait for a reply as he pulled the cellphone out of his pocket.

Near obeyed disappointedly as he detached himself from the older man and let himself collapse on the pillows, still breathing heavily. He was starting to like Misora less and less…

“This is L. Hello, Naomi-san”. And here Near thought he had missed her…“No, you’re not interrupting anything. I’m listening”.

His primary urge was to grit his teeth. Misora couldn't have and shouldn't know what exactly she was interrupting, but that didn't make the interruption any less irritating.

Now that L had gotten up to assume a position closer to sitting, propping himself on his knees and his left hand, more than cold, Near felt exposed. And vulnerable. Like a feline lying on its stomach. He was left naked while L had only taken his shirt off. He didn't understand why L insisted on always undressing him first. It was unfair.

“Hmm…I see. How many culprits do they suspect that there are? And the victims? Yes, it is quite odd to have such a large number of victims in such a small time span. But fascinating nonetheless”.

This was taking too long… His state was actually starting to become rather painful. He tried focusing his thoughts elsewhere but it wasn’t effective whatsoever. Maybe if he turned around he could…-

L’s knees closed on his hips the moment he attempted flipping on his stomach, preventing any move on his lower half. There was no point in trying to get out of his grip either – it was too tight to be fought off. The denim fabric of his jeans felt rough and it scratched against Near’s sensitive skin. “Send them a message saying that L has taken on the case. You’ll meet them tomorrow morning and arrange for them to speak to me. At 9 o’clock. They’ll already have gathered at their workplace. No, you may rest for now. Goodnight Naomi-san”.

At long last, L deigned to leave the cellphone on the nightstand. His knees released Near’s hips and he settled himself on top of the child again. “I apologize for the phone call but it couldn’t have been avoided”. He petted Near’s cheek affectionately. “I know I’ve been neglecting you for the past few days, but don’t worry: I promise to take very good care of you now”.

And Near didn’t complain, as he was ‘taken care of’ twice that night.

Naomi Misora completed yet another mission successfully and it was time for her to have a personal meeting with L. Again.

It was the last straw. Near didn’t have the slightest information about the cases L has been taking on for the last two weeks. (He was never told much, but now he feared that there might be no cases at all.) And if L didn’t tell him, he would search for the information himself.

It was simple enough: the only thing he had to do was go to L’s office to confirm the existence of the case files. (He would just look at the cover of the folder, not the details, because he was neither that indiscreet, nor that desperate yet.)

There was a problem though: L always locked his office when he wasn’t inside. And he obviously couldn’t look around freely if they were together. Albeit he didn’t like the idea of infringing L’s space like that, there was no other solution but breaking in. Not directly, because there was no way L would leave that key unguarded.

But, Watari’s office was right next to the room in question. He could find that key (he knew L kept a spare one in a drawer of his bedroom) and then jump across to L’s office from the balcony. It worked in theory, but it was quite dangerous.

Well, Mello always says that Near never puts a plan into practice properly.

The first step was taking the spare key. He was lucky enough to find L sleeping in the morning. Before doing anything, Near would have to get out of his arms. He tried moving away, but L unconsciously kept holding him. It could have been perceived as romantic in another scenario, but the timing was extremely off. In the end he managed to trick L into hugging one of the fluffy pillows instead of his body.

He didn’t worry about making too much noise as he got up from the bed, or when he began his search. Unlike him, L was a very heavy sleeper. If he didn’t decide to wake up on his own, practically nothing could wake him up. Near just hoped he had enough time until L’s internal clock decided it was time to rise and shine.

The first place to look was the nightstand beside L’s side of the bed. There was no key in the first and second drawer. Near only found sticky, empty candy-wrappers, two more spare cellphone devices and a box of condoms so forgotten it was dusty. (He assumed it was a gift from Watari, destined for L’s late teen years but its content was never made use of.)

However, there was a carved, old-fashioned key in the last drawer. Near immediately recognised it as the object he was searching for. He stored it in the pocket of his pyjama pants and left the bedroom. If L asked, he'd say he was taking too long to wake up and that he needed to get down for breakfast. He didn't like lying to L, but there was no other way around.

Near waited until morning classes were over, and then went to Watari’s office, effectively avoiding L and everyone else. He opened the door and got inside quietly. He knew he would be free to organize his little investigation, because Roger had called L to his own office downstairs, to discuss some technical details about the orphanage. L had told him yesterday how much he didn’t want to go.

Opening the door to the balcony was easy, but now the more risky part awaited. He avoided looking down at all costs, not allowing himself to rethink his actions.

Swallowing thickly, Near slowly climbed on the broad top of the railing. His legs were shaking, so he steadied himself on the wall. The distance wasn’t too long. It was barely longer than two normal steps. But knowing that if he failed to make those almost-two steps together he would fall and fracture at least half – if not all – the bones in his body was more than stress-inducing.

(Again, how has he been downgraded to jumping across balconies because of insecurities? Thankfully no one will know of this.)

He shook his head, took a deep breath, bent his legs and jumped. 

His time in the air seemed to be indefinite. Near was sure he wouldn't make it, until he was met face to face with the flat white tiles on the balcony of L's office.

Not being used to physical pain, it took Near a few extra seconds to pick himself up. But the hard part was put behind him. Now all he had to do was pick the lock of the glass door. Considering there was a special class at Wammy’s that focused on the students acquiring skills such as picking locks, Near would have been a failure if he didn’t at least know how to open this door with a paperclip.

The last obstacle was removed and he was inside L's office. 

Near didn’t feel proud for doing this but he either proceeded with it or curiosity and jealousy would eat away at his brain.

The desk was a mess – a both familiar and inconvenient sight.

Barely six fruitless minutes had passed before he heard two pairs of footsteps coming closer. The first pair could belong to no one but L. And judging by the data of the last couple of weeks, his guest was Misora. Near cursed at his impulsiveness for not making more reasoned calculations. Now he was trapped just like an unsuspecting mouse. 

There was nothing that could hide him at the balcony and there was no way he could muster the courage to jump across so soon again, so he quickly closed the door and pulled the curtains back as they were. There was no time to hide anywhere else except under the desk, as he heard the key turning in the lock.

“Well, I must say I was somewhat surprised by that last case”. L said.

Near backed up as much as the base of the desk allowed him, hoping the detective wouldn’t look down as he sat on his chair.

“And here I thought nothing could surprise you”.

“I did say ‘somewhat’”.

(It seemed to Near that there was unnecessary familiarity between them.)

He shrank back even more when he saw L’s slim toes barely three feet away from him. His heartbeat sped up as L was just standing there for some seconds. “Please, take a seat, Naomi-san”. Only then did he hop on his chair. Near wanted to sigh in relief but he knew he couldn’t. “Now then, you’re probably wondering why you’re here”.

“You told me on the phone that this would be some sort of evaluation of the latest mission”.

“Yes. Your performance was practical overall, however, there are some details I'll need you to be wary of. But before that…would you like some chocolate? There's both dark and milk chocolate". That was suspicious…L doesn't share his sweets with just anyone…

“…Uh, no, thank you. I’m fine”.

“As you please. I’ll still be taking a bite though”.

The chocolate had to be inside one of the drawers in the bureau next to the desk. Near was doomed. Except L didn’t bend to collect his sweet treat. He merely outstretched his arm to reach the drawer. The child relaxed a little at that, closing his eyes. The first thing he saw when he opened them was L's face under the desk, his mentor's dark, owlish gaze boring into him intensely. 

"Look what we have here". He stated tonelessly before grabbing Near and pulling him outside of his hiding place, who uselessly tried to squirm out of his hold. He lifted him up, putting one hand under his legs to support him, exposing him to the light in the room and to Misora. Was there a humiliation worse than this? “Excuse me, Naomi-san. This is Near. He likes playing hide and seek”. Near felt utterly powerless as she smiled and actually waved her hand in a greeting motion to him. (She probably found him ‘cute’ too, like almost every female caretaker here.) “I’ll be right back”.

L carried him over to the door, opened it and put him down considerably less carefully than usual. “The two of us will speak later”. He whispered and slipped his hand in Near’s pocket, snatching away the key for Watari's office. "Oh, and I'll be taking this". He very subtly pushed his shoulder. "Off you go now". That was spoken in normal volume.

Not even giving him a chance to talk, L turned around and almost closed one panel of the double door in his face.

…Did L just… shoo him away?

Near didn’t even like hide and seek…!

He was sitting quietly in a corner, doing a puzzle, trying to process the events from earlier, when Roger spotted him. The Headmaster urged him to go outside for a few minutes, just for the sun to see an inch of his skin. Not having the mental capacity to argue, Near gathered his puzzle and dragged his feet outside.

There were some boys outside playing football and some girls playing tag. He sat in another corner, beside the porch this time and started doing his puzzle from the beginning. He could only hope no one wanted to start a conversation.

He couldn’t think of anything at the moment. He just watched his fingers place each of the pieces in their appropriate place. The embarrassment he felt when L put him on display for Misora to see still weighed on him, even though Near really did try to avoid bringing that memory back.

After almost half an hour, he decided it was time to get back inside. Dark-grey clouds had begun gathering up in the sky – rain was undoubtedly on its way. The rest of the children were leaving in groups of two or three too. He was storing the pieces back in the box, when L's voice reached his ears.

“I know this might be a lot for you, Naomi-san – when compared to your duties in the organization. But I’ll arrange for you to be discharged as soon as possible”.

Despite his consciousness screaming for him to just get on with his business and leave, he ended up hiding behind the wall of the stairs to listen.

They got out, slowly walking down the porch.

"It's nothing I can't handle, I think. Besides, it's truly honouring to be working with you again". She said.

“So, any last questions before we part ways? The car should be waiting for you outside”.

“None. I’ll call you when I get there“.

“Good. I do have one for you, however”.

“Of course, I’m listening”.

“…Give me a moment, please”. L turned his head slightly sideways, gaze falling to Near’s direction, alarming all of the boy’s senses. He couldn’t see him from this angle, it was illogical. “Near, would you come here?”

…How?

…How had he seen him?

Then again, L, being L, could have just sensed his presence.

Near really, really didn’t want to come out. But she was about to leave and there was no one else but them outside. What’s the worst that could happen to him? He unwillingly put his puzzle down and shuffled towards them. His feet felt heavy to lift, as if his joints were rusty.

“Thank you”. He snaked his arm around Near’s shoulder, bringing his short body right next to his. “You remember Near from earlier, don’t you Naomi-san?”

She nodded. “Of course. I’m glad to meet you, Near”. She gave him her hand but…

It was the first time Near was seeing her from this close. She was tall, taller than L. But only because her boots had heels and L crouched. She wore all black. Black leather boots, black jeans and a black jacket. Her ebony hair fell around her face and shoulders like a curtain, and her eyes were blue, he realised for the first time.

In all honesty, Near felt rather…intimidated by her. He didn’t exactly know why, but her aura was strange to him. Foreign, and unknown. He wasn't prepared at all for such a meeting. He wasn't given much of a chance to observe her beforehand.

His instinctive response was to shy away from her, hiding behind L and clutching at the back of his shirt. He was more comfortable now, not having to look at her - safer behind L, in a complicated sense of the word.

“I’m sorry if I did something to upset him…” She apologized.

“You did nothing wrong. You’ll have to excuse us, Near is a little shy”. L reached behind his back, lightly rubbing his index finger against Near’s cheek. “Anyways, back to the question. As I told you, I plan on giving you a day-off for the 31st of October. A real one this time. Have you made any thoughts on how you are going to spend it?”

“…I haven’t really given it much thought yet, but I guess I’ll just visit my boyfriend”. 

Near’s eyes widened to an impossible degree and it was as though time had stopped after that.

“Good answer”. L complimented. “Well then, it’s time for you to leave, I think. Be careful, Naomi-san”.

“You too, L”. She bowed. And left.

They watched her in silence for a while as she crossed the large yard of Wammy’s. Meanwhile, Near just wanted a hole to open on the surface of the ground and suck him in whole.

“Don’t say anything”. He almost hissed.

"I won't". L agreed and picked him up. It didn't matter. Everyone else was inside anyway. "I'll just say that what you did was extremely dangerous. Please never do it again". Near refused to look at him. “And I’d also like to let you know that I could never form a romantic relationship with Naomi. Even if she didn’t have a partner herself”.

He very timidly raised his head at that. "…Really?" He felt even more stupid and ridiculous by asking that. 

“Yes, really. She is a skilful agent, and an attractive woman, but I know she wouldn't understand me like you do". L squeezed him closer to his body, making him feel a little better, even though this was still the most embarrassing day of his life. "Besides, she doesn't even have white hair". He continued, running his hand through the boy's curls. "Perhaps if she dyes it, we could…-"

"L…-" Near truly didn't understand how a person with such a high intellect could have such cheap humour at times…

“Calm down, little one. It was only a joke”. The sky thundered threateningly above them. “I do think we should get going, don’t you?”

“Just don’t tell any more jokes”.

This was the first time Near experienced the emotion called 'jealousy'. This wasn't like when each of the other children tried to monopolize L. The latter was just a minor annoyance at the back of his head. But now he had felt insecure, even partly incompetent against Misora.

In the end, Near concluded jealousy wasn’t worth much as an emotion. It was mostly useless and it just caused problems.

One should let things develop naturally. There would be no point in keeping L close to him if he was suspicious of every person he worked with. 

The first drops of rain had already begun to fall as they went inside through one of the many back doors.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn't even know Linda was gonna be in this when I started writing, but now I feel a little sorry for her...
> 
> Anyways, I might be taking a small break from writing fics and oneshots. I do have ideas (quite a few, actually), but I haven't been very motivated lately. But I'm not sure. We'll see.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! I'm always happy to read your comments and thoughts!


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